In high speed floor burnishers, dust and debris are created as the high speed burnishing pad scours the floor. Tiny particles of dirt or previous floor coverings may be driven outwardly at fairly high speed; and unless some provision is made, the dust can diminish the overall effect intended to be produced by the machine.
It has become desirable to enclose the pad driver assembly in a shroud which is evacuated continuously so that the dust and debris becomes entrained in a continuous air flow.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a means for continuously filtering the air evacuated from the vacuum shroud, but a problem arises in that the amount of dust and debris and the volume of air to be filtered are so great that a filter of any reasonable size may have to be changed too frequently to be convenient.
The present invention advantageously overcomes this disadvantage by providing that the filter and debris collection assembly (through which the evacuated air is routed) includes a removable receptacle above which the filter rests and is mounted.
The receptacle includes a generally annular area for routing the air at fairly high speed in a generally circular pattern, and the receptacle is provided with an upwardly inclined bottom wall or ramp to pass the air upwardly and through the filter while creating a low vacuum area or trap into which the heavier debris falls and is collected. The receptacle also includes a dam partially defining the debris trap so that the debris which is trapped does not re-enter the air stream, but remains trapped.
In a preferred embodiment, the filter is readily removable from the receptacle, and the receptacle is removable from the filter assembly housing so that the heavy debris can be discarded readily.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment accompanied by the attached drawing wherein similar reference numerals will refer to like parts in the various views.